Creating Your Own Path: Kevin Kolbe on Embracing Change and Finding Purpose

Jim Bergoon: 00:00:01

Welcome to Grace and the Grind, the podcast where we dive deep into the journeys of heart centered and purpose driven leaders and entrepreneurs. We're here to equip and encourage you on your journey. So let's get started and find the grace within the grind. This is Grace in the Grind.

And now your host, Jim Bergoon.

Host: 00:00:24

Welcome to Grace in the Grind where we're here to equip the power and to encourage the Christian entrepreneur, leader and creative to get out there and do all that God is calling them to. And today my friend is here to share his story. Kevin Colby, thank you for coming to the show.

Kevin Colby: 00:00:39

Oh, bro, I'm beyond happy to be here, so thank you for asking.

Host: 00:00:44

Looking forward to digging into your story. But before we do that, let's go ahead and let the audience know. What is it you do? Who are, who is Kevin Colby?

Kevin Colby: 00:00:52

Oh man, if I knew that, I could probably make a therapist rich. So basically re.

In fact, probably the most recently I've shifted a little bit to I really want to help people over 40 do more with video and especially on YouTube. That's my core platform. But I'm a solo content creator. Sometimes I say video producer. Depends on who I'm talking to.

And I'm also a best selling author, which I'm still getting comfortable with saying that I am. Everybody wants to know, what do you do? What's your label I can put on you.

Host: 00:01:23

We've known each other for a while since there's some great stories to jump into. But let's jump in first with the content creators because a lot of our audience, my audience is going to be in that realm.

How hard is it, you said over 40. How hard is it for somebody who is 40 years old to really get started and get out there?

Kevin Colby: 00:01:40

I don't, I think it's hard depending on what you're trying to do. But I also think there's never been a better time to, to jump into it. Now I was having this discussion with somebody the other day.

Can anybody be a full time content creator? I don't know. I don't know. I worked in television for over 30 something years before my position was eliminated.

And there's, I made a good salary and had good perks and stuff like that. And being on your own is completely different. I'm the marketing department, the graphics guy, the editor. Oh, the idea guy.

I do the sales stuff, I meet with people, bookkeeping. What the heck is that? And there's on and on. And it's a lot of different things to learn.

And online Media, Digital media, specifically YouTube is so different than traditional media, than TV night and day difference. Can anybody do it? Yeah, I think so.

And I've never ever advocated that somebody should quit their job and jump into it because I think that's just irresponsible. Everybody has different responsibilities, different gifts, different goals. I do think there is ways to create while having a full time job.

I do think there's ways to create when you can with a family and stuff like that. And I think that's easier to dip your toe into it and try it.

But also think, you know, like with most things you can't just do one or two videos and go, ah, that didn't work. It's, you need to give it some time, whatever that time might be. It's different for different people and really see where you want to go.

And you know, quite honestly, for a believer, where God takes it.

Host: 00:03:22

Yeah, absolutely. So that, then that brings up another thing. When you were leaving, obviously they told you you no longer had a position, so you had to do something.

But what was the challenges you were facing in the transition? You said coming from TV to you to YouTube was difficult. What were some of those challenges?

Kevin Colby: 00:03:41

The company took good care of me for a bit and so there was that. And then it was really weird. That's a good question because I had never not had a full time job since high school.

I did part time jobs in high school, but ever since I graduated college, probably I should say college, I had worked pretty much full time somewhere.

And so all of a sudden now I don't remember what day it was, I don't think it was a Friday, but whatever day it was, the next day I don't have to get up and go to the office. So for a couple of days it was like wild. And then a week later it's like, oh, okay, this is wild.

Some of it was mental too because I, the last job I had in television was a creative director and I had been a creative director. I was with the company that I ended my TV career with.

I'd been with like for 24 years, but I was with the Fox station that, that they owned as the creative director. So I'd been a creative director for over 14 years.

And basically, in short, that my department, my team, we were like the advertising agency for the station.

So we did all the promotions, we promoted the station on air, off air, meaning we would buy radio commercials and billboards and cable and whatever, however else we promoted the station.

We also did commercials for clients, but we also did Programming, we produced live programming and produced programming, pre produced and contests and the website and the social media, all that fell under us. So I had an amazing team that I will still say to this day was far more creative than me.

So when all of a sudden it's me, Jim, I don't know about you, but I, I get tired of me after a while.

Host: 00:05:31

Yeah, often I get tired of me a lot.

Kevin Colby: 00:05:34

And so that was the biggest one not having, because we, again, creative team, amazing team. We did amazing work, we made a lot of money for the station, we won a lot of awards and we also just had fun.

And so you don't have that outlet and then you realize, oh, okay, or, or the computer's not working, I can't just call up it or engineering to come look at it now I've got to figure it out. So there was a lot of that.

Then you start getting the idea of, okay, the paycheck's not steady now there's not the benefits, there's not a lot of the things that I don't, I hope and probably never took for granted. But I think when they're just there every two weeks, which is how we got paid, you're just like, okay, there's a little stub checks in the bank.

So there's a lot of that as well. And then what am I going to do? Am I going to get back into television, which I thought I was.

And so there was a lot of that going on, while at the same time it would take me a while to realize I loved the creative freedom of not having the confines of television.

Host: 00:06:40

So then that brings up another question too, because you had mentioned a little bit in your last answer. Did you ended up going through a grieving process like when you lost your team?

Kevin Colby: 00:06:51

I did at one point, but let me explain that. So there was a point where I had a pretty large team. At one point, I think there was 12 or 14 of us.

I'd have to always think back, but it was a pretty large team. And it was producers and graphic artists and social media coordinator.

And at one point they, they cut my team in half, which is how a lot of these companies work. They start reducing the workforce and things like that. They still expect the same amount.

And it was right as our sister station changed affiliation from CBS to NBC. So that became the focus for the company.

And so I think I grieved more then because having to sit in those meetings and tell somebody that their position's eliminated for nothing they've done wrong is not fun. And I remember, I don't think I've ever shared this before. Nobody's asked. I remember the general manager. Cause we have these meetings.

We know that, we know these. We have our meetings to prep for the meetings to come.

And when it was over, he said, kevin, if you wanna just go ahead and take off for the rest of the day, that's fine. I said, no, I'm good, I'm good. And I remember going back to my office and I tried to get back into the, to the work mode.

And I thought, yeah, I can't do it. So I went back in and I started tearing up and I said, yeah, I just need to go home for the day. And it that. I think I grieved harder than later.

It was the way it went down with me is they met with me when I came in that day. Actually, the owner of the company is the one who told me that was the relationship we had.

And which I thought was still to this day just mad respect for him and the company. Not just what he built, but the fact he did that, he didn't have to do that.

And then, then when they're meeting with me, they're meeting with the team. And then several of the team came in after. And it wasn't like, we're going to lead you to the door.

It was like, just take your time, tell us when you want to come back and get stuff. So it was really amicable. But I remember meeting with my team and some of them are crying and stuff like that.

You know, I kept saying, guys, I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine. Now there's also in their mind, the ones that are left is then what about me? And I'm like, you're fine, you're okay, you're okay.

And just trying to convince them that I was fine, I was fine with it. They all knew I was a guy of faith even then. It's, oh, got a pull on that right now. That's how I dealt with it.

I'm sure there were times after you get a week removed and two week removed and three week removed and then you go, there is that period of what did I do wrong? And I don't understand this, but I just, Jim, I just. I don't know, I just chose not to live there.

I do remember a friend of mine, we went to lunch and he really wanted me just to be pissed off about it. He wanted me to be mad and angry. And I remember just saying, what's the point? What's the point? That, no, I'm just, I'm not going to live there.

Did I get upset one day? Yeah, probably. But at the same time it's, I just, I don't want to live in that space constantly.

What does it do besides just I'm going to be miserable to be around.

Host: 00:10:01

Grumpy old man over 40, right?

Kevin Colby: 00:10:02

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't hang out with Kevin. He's having his day.

Host: 00:10:06

So that decision making process and you decided not to live there, is that something you've always had or something you had to develop?

Kevin Colby: 00:10:14

Wow, that is a good question. I don't know. I'd like to think as I've gotten older, maybe I've gotten a little wiser or more mature. I don't know. I have those moments where it's.

Seriously, how old are you, Kevin? I don't know. I'm an only son. That my parents were extremely giving and loving and level headed. I did maybe. So this is a good session.

You ought to call it counseling with Jim. I remember when I was younger, so my dad worked for this company called Wolf and they had a union. He didn't really want to join the union.

But you had, it was one of those things, if you worked here, you had to be in the union and they would have gone strike occasionally and he would have to go on strike. And I remember there was a time where one day he was going out, he had gotten a job at Burger King washing windows.

And I remember Jim saying to him, dad, you can't do that. You're better than that. You can't go and be washing windows.

And I remember it verbatim what he said, but it basically was like, Kevin, I have to feed our family. I, I'm not so good that I can't go wash windows. It's a job. And that's always stuck with me. It's always stuck with me that to him it was like I work.

He, he didn't see any demeaning thing to it.

And that's so I think that's probably always been in, in the back of my mind is that I told our kids growing up, if you end up being a greeter at Walmart, be the best greeter you can. And that's not the slight greeters at Walmart. But if that's what you want to do it to the best of your ability and have fun with it.

Host: 00:11:43

Man, that's really good and I'm grateful you shared that. So then I can just hear like the listeners jiving with your story.

But then coming to A question that says, yeah, but Kevin, you have an unfair advantage. Like, we want to get started, we want to do these things. And meaning the unfair advantage. You come from TV production into YouTube.

That just seems like the natural progression. So what is. What would it be? What mindset would people have to develop? What skillset?

Like, how can somebody who doesn't have that background step into this and not be depressed, not be struggling through.

Kevin Colby: 00:12:19

So I'm glad you asked this question because I've had people drop comments like that on my videos before. And the reality of it is, and this is going to be one of those things, if somebody has never worked in broadcast and television, you just.

I'm going to ask you to take my word for it, the difference between traditional media, as it's called broadcast television, and I'll just say YouTube, because that's where I play. Could not be further. It's night and day in broadcast. Everything has to be as perfect as possible. You live in the world we did of 30 seconds.

It was constantly like, next newscast or constantly.

You're putting all your time and effort behind a show that all of a sudden the network decides after two, two episodes, we just canceled the show just because whatever. And then the. And then there was levels of bureaucracy and meetings and stuff like that.

Then you get to the world of YouTube where it's like, hey, post what you want, make it as long as you want, make it short, doesn't matter. And the freedom there was like, oh, okay, wow. Now here's the irony. So people go, you have a nice setup, you have nice camera and stuff like that.

And so my background being video, I understood that. But the reality of it is, and still probably more, I can creatively tell somebody how to use their gear, but I can't tell you the intricacies.

If that makes sense of my gear and my cameras, right? And I've also learned, and I've said before, gear can help you create, but it will not make you creative.

And I think that's a big thing people have to understand. Well, if I get the right camera, if I get the right mic, if I get the right software, it may help you do something faster.

You may look a little better, you may sound a little better, but it's just a tool. That's all it is.

So I just say that too, and say that I actually envy, in the Christian way, I envy people that don't have my background because I think sometimes it's easier because I get. Still, I can overproduce, I can overthink. Because of my background.

So my background is actually nice to have and works against me because just the way I'm wired. And so when I see these people on YouTube and they're just hitting record and going, forget how many views, I'm like, I like that a lot.

Or I'm just using my iPhone and I'm like, yeah, I wish I. And I'm a big advocate of that, but I wish I would just do that more. So that's that world I live in as a creator.

Host: 00:14:54

So then how do you navigate the overwhelm?

Kevin Colby: 00:14:56

You know, it's funny because I think only recently I've gotten better at it. A few months ago, and I don't know when this is going to air, but a few months ago, see, Air. See, it's the still, the TV thing. It doesn't air, Kevin.

It's published. See, but whatever this is out there.

Several months ago, I, after a lot of thought and talking to some folks and prayer, I refocused my channel and it was refocused to the WHO. I wanted to reach people over 40. Being 63, I can feel more in that place now. I still get a kick when somebody's 23 going, Hey, I like your videos.

Thanks for inspiring me. Or I'm 32 or whatever. That's fine. As I joke with them, I'm going to leave the light on for you. Come on in. But I it.

What I decided to do is to really try and tone down the production. Jim. I can. Oh my word. I can produce the snot out of something whether it's good or not. That's debatable.

In television, we used to have this phrase, junking it up. Junk up a video. We'd throw graphic. We wouldn't even have an idea. We'd have. That's not true. We'd have an idea.

I'd just get into the edit bay and I'd throw some graphics and some transitions and I'd change the texture and I'd hit. Oh, man, I might even win an award on this. And it's okay.

And when you just hit record and you share your heart or your story or some advice or whatever it is, and that does well. Now, that's not to say well produced videos don't have a place. But there's a lot of conversations about quality and quantity.

And I can just tell you right now, personally, quality is in the eye of the beholder. And so for somebody to tell you that you need to be producing more quality content. What does that mean? Yeah, if they can Hear you.

Audio is still more important than video in a video, believe it or not. But quality is so much in the person receiving it, not the person doing it. I can do all the right things.

I could send you a video and you go, dang, that's. That is so well edited. The graphics, everything like that. But if nobody watches, does it really matter? Yeah. So I. I think that's been it.

Of just like, worry less about the aesthetics and just focus on the message and the people I'm talking to and just go and see what happens.

Host: 00:17:26

So then I would just begin to ask you. It's like shifting gears a little bit too, because you have a. You have an incredible life that you've built over the years.

How do you navigate the challenges of your family life? And you do have some challenges at home with your production, with the need to make money. Like, how does that all to go together and have.

And continually grow in your relationships and your faith? What does that look like?

Kevin Colby: 00:17:50

Yeah. And I, I would. I'd be lying if I didn't say sometimes there were some collisions or maybe bumps. I have edited videos in a hospital room before.

And one of the things. We have three kids, and what Jim is referring to is that our youngest has special needs, which is a whole nother world. A whole nother world.

And I think it stems back to probably when I was growing up. There was always family was first, God was first, but family was first. And we took family vacations and we took family time.

Of course, this is long before we had all the interruptions we have now. And even as our two oldest were younger, we set guidelines. We ate together as a family and we didn't have phones on there.

And we had restrictions on how much we could watch tv. But then we'd always do a family movie night or something like that. And so I think that carries over to. It's very tempting to.

I gotta be on all the time. I've gotta. I've gotta be constantly thinking work.

And I even figured out while I was the creative director that as long as I had my phone and had notifications turned on for everything and was accessible all the time, people would access you. That makes sense. They would find you.

And if I'm working with a client and I don't set those guidelines, it's not the client's fault if they start messaging me at 9pm at night or on a Sunday or whatever. And so I decided that I would just set these guidelines. I actually do remember. I don't know why I remember sitting At a red light, checking my phone.

This is still when I was creative director.

Host: 00:19:28

Oh.

Kevin Colby: 00:19:28

Because I had some notifications here and at some point I thought, you know what? Why don't I wait till I get home? What's the point? So I turned notifications off my phone and I think the balance is realizing that ultimately I.

I don't say don't worry about things, but I'm concerned about things. I heard somebody talking the other day about the difference between concern and worry.

As our pastors, I'm not to say I'm not concerned about things, but I realize I can only do what I can do. And ultimately my family has to come first and our youngest son has to come first.

And it just means if I have to cancel a live stream, I cancel a live stream. Now I'm glad I actually threw that out because it. I have changed some of my content because of that. I love live streaming. Absolutely love it.

Probably comes from being on the radio for years. I have no problem with turning the mic on and going, but it's hard to schedule if you don't a hundred percent know it's going to be there.

And so that's even sometimes why I've turned down some invites to be on shows and stuff, because it's like, yeah, I don't know, and things like that. But again, I've actually done a couple of live interviews from a hotel room, a hospital room.

Host: 00:20:38

Right.

Kevin Colby: 00:20:39

There's things that I've had to put in place and just. You adapt and work at it. But I. I try and get off the computer every day, just like I'm leaving the office. I.

So my space is a former bedroom that is now my office, my studio and everything. It's upstairs of our house. So I go up to the office and I go down for lunch and I come back. But I don't even leave my phone by the bed at night.

It stays up in my office. I go dark on Sundays. Social media, email. I don't look at email on the weekends, very little on Saturday. And I'm even trying to get rid of that.

So it's just one of those things of trying it. Like you keep trying to find that groove that works for you. So even when you're with somebody, you're not thinking about work.

Sometimes it's hard because I'm just constantly thinking that way.

Host: 00:21:31

So then what would you say is your greatest challenge right now?

Kevin Colby: 00:21:34

I think it's still the business side is how much is not making money, but not being driven by the money, being able to do things just because it helps somebody that may not have any monetary thing to it.

Trying to drown out the noise of all the people that some of them good natured and some of them just trying to sell you something, telling you exactly how to do it. You got to do this, you got to do this, got to do this, got to do this. So I think it's that just being true to me, what my mission is.

Still trying to live into that, knowing it may change and then balance that with I still need to make money, but how much and all that, that's, that's just one of those things.

Host: 00:22:16

If people are looking to find you, where can they come see Kevin's live show?

Kevin Colby: 00:22:20

The best thing is there's two things. There's my website, kevincolbe.com I've got some resources there and I offer coaching and contact there.

And then also my YouTube channel, which is YouTube @Kevin Colby.

Host: 00:22:32

And for the listener, we will have all of that into the show. Notes that it's easy to click. Make sure you go follow Kevin. Incredible creator, incredible story.

Kevin Colby: 00:22:41

Thank you.

Host: 00:22:41

And so with that being said, what I always like to leave with my wisdom bombs at the end. And so what is a wisdom bomb or a piece of wisdom you would give to the listener that they can take with them?

Kevin Colby: 00:22:52

I would say this, and I was thinking about this because you did give me a heads up. One of my favorite verses is Ephesians 2:10.

And so I'll, I'll, I'll paraphrase it to say that I encourage everybody to be the masterpiece that God created you to be.

Host: 00:23:08

That's really good, sir. I just wanted to thank you. There's great chance we may have another episode somewhere down the line with you. This was incredible. Thank you so much.

Thanks for having me. And to the listener, make sure you definitely go follow him.

Make sure you take a minute rate review what the podcast and all that stuff, it helps out. And so to you guys who are listening to Grace in the Grind, we're just excited you're here.

And remember, we're here to equip the power and encourage you to do all that God's called you to. And just thanks for listening and head on to the next episode.

Kevin Colby: 00:23:41

Free audio post production.com this has been.

Jim Bergoon: 00:23:45

Grace in the Grind. Whether you're a Christian leader looking for guidance or an entrepreneur, seek, seeking inspiration. It's Jim's passion to equip and encourage you.

Make sure to check out Jim's solo episodes where he shares practical leadership insights grounded in a biblical perspective. We hope you've enjoyed the show. If you did, make sure to like, rate and review and we'll be back soon.

But in the meantime, find us on social media eadwithjam and you can also hit the website at www. Take care of yourself and we'll see you next time on Grace in the Grind.